


Hail (and well met)

by TuppingLiberty



Series: TLIB FFC 2021- original works [18]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, First Meetings, M/M, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29612553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: FFC Day 18: HailHow Gabe and Billy met
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: TLIB FFC 2021- original works [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138628
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2021: Apocalypse No





	Hail (and well met)

The dark cabin in the woods across the way has been vacant for awhile now. It used to be that tourists would come through, renting the place for the weekend for a getaway, and Billy could sell them all manor of potions and spells and crystals and trinkets. He’d gotten joy from figuring out exactly what they needed, from families who needed some togetherness benefiting from a little calmness spell, to couples, throuples, and groups away for the weekend for some fun and wanted a potion for...stamina. Billy has a knack for both the physical and emotional stuff. 

He even has somewhat of a green thumb, at least for his own space. He thinks that the plants thrive off of his energy, because when he’s tried to sell starters, everyone reports that the plants wilt the moment they’re away from him. He can’t stand the idea of that, so he’s stopped selling live plants. 

But the cabin has remained stubbornly empty since someone new from the city bought it, apparently for their own pleasure. Must be someone who works a lot, though, because Billy hasn’t seen anyone at the place in months. His sales have been impacted, although he’s surviving. Billy is nothing if not resourceful. 

He’s stitching a charm into a baby blanket for someone in the local village when the new neighbor finally makes an appearance. A beat up junker of a car putters to the front of the cabin, and a long-limbed, lanky figure pulls themself out. Half-elf at least, by the looks of it, if not full. The figure pushes black hair out of their eyes, and now Billy can see the masculine set to his jaw, the way his mouth is turned down in a frown. 

He gives the new neighbor a few hours to settle in - enough time to make some snickerdoodles - before visiting. It’s slightly chilly, stepping from his clearing to the dark woods that surround the cabin, but he relishes it, and the crunch of pine needles under his bare feet. He refuses to wear shoes anywhere he can feel the earth beat beneath him, so he generally only puts them on for a town day. 

The neighbor opens his door and Billy is surprised as he just keeps looking up and up and up. Definitely elf blood, by the long, slender limbs and slight, sinewy body. He’s wearing a holey black shirt with some band name on it in blood-red letters and a pair of black jeans and- and he, too, is barefoot. His skin is pale, especially in comparison to Billy’s, but Billy spends a lot of time outdoors and the new neighbor must not. 

The neighbor grips the door jam with one hand, and Billy notices that he has long, elegant fingers, but they’re all smudged with something black. No matter, as Billy’s hands are often covered with components for whatever he’s making that day - and oh, look, there’s still some flour on the back of his hand from the impromptu snickerdoodle session. 

Bill brushes it off surreptitiously and holds out his hand. “Hi! I’m Billy, and I live across the way. I just wanted to introduce myself and give you these-” He shoves the tray of snickerdoodles towards the neighbor. “-and just tell you that if there’s ever anything you need, I’m glad to be of help.” 

The neighbor blinks at all of this, his frown not moving. “Thanks. I’m Gabe.” 

And Billy, Billy is used to not being met with the same type of energy that he gives out, but Gabe is especially deflating, and he finds his smile faltering. “It’s really nice to have someone in the cabin again. I’ve been lon-”

“I’m just staying for the weekend. Need to get some drawing done. Thanks for the cookies, though.” 

Gabe couldn’t be more clear that he wants to be left alone if he tried, and Billy swallows, giving a nod. “Well, have a good weekend, then.” 

It doesn’t matter, anyway. Billy has plenty of regular customers to keep him company. It’s not like he needs whatever little amount of money Gabe would actually want to spend. 

And yet, he feels inexplicably hurt. He wraps his arms around himself in the chill of the trees and turns to step off of the porch. He’s surprised when a small chunk of ice bounces off the skin of his arm, and then another, and then, even through the trees, he’s caught in a downpour of hail. He runs back to his house, the hail pelting off his skin and  _ hurting. _

“No, no, no-” Billy reaches his garden, and the hail is really coming down hard now, tearing at the leaves and delicate petals and flattening stems. “No…” He tries to huddle over a tomato plant, the round green fruit of it being bruised by the sudden change in weather. 

“Are you crazy?”

The gruff voice comes from behind him, and then there’s an umbrella over him, the ice ping-pinging against it. Billy looks up, watching Gabe’s face, but the elf - half-elf? - doesn’t look more than annoyed. 

“My garden-” Bill says helplessly. 

“Okay, but if it’s doing this to the plants, imagine what it’s doing to your skin.” 

“I can heal myself. I’m not a plant witch, though.” 

There’s a pause as the hail continues to pour. “...Are you a weather witch?” 

Startled, Billy looks up at Gabe. “What? No. If you’re asking if I made this happen, I didn’t.” 

Gabe narrows his eyes, and Billy has the feeling he’s one of those that don’t trust the magical arts. 

The hail cuts off with a smattering of ice, then a little bit of rain, and then nothing, the sky opening up to blue and sun once again in the small clearing. It’s enough that steam starts rising from the ground. 

Gabe shakes off the umbrella to the side of the garden and shuts it, stalking off without saying another word. 

_ Did I cause the hail? _ Billy wonders as he starts to clean the ice away from his plants. The last time he’d made the weather go wonky was back in fourth grade when his powers had just been developing. 

Billy looks across the clearing, through the woods, where Gabe is stamping his feet outside his cabin before firmly shutting himself inside. He shrugs, writing it - and the artist - off.

**Author's Note:**

> LaBelleIzzy pointed out that these guys are basically Jack and Bitty from Check Please and I can't argue against it. :D Like I told her I named Billy without even thinking of Bitty and as she said "the indoctrination runs deep," hahahaha. :D
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated


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